Self-propelled manually steered portable rug-washing machine



P. P. SMlTH v SELF-PROPELLED MANUALLY STEERED PORTABLE June 26, 1951 RUG-WASHING MACHINE 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1946 Attorney:

June 26, 1951 P. P. SMITH SELF-PROPELLED MANUALLY STEERED PORTABLE RUG-WASHING MACHINE KSheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1946 Attorneys June 26, 1951 P. P. SMITH SELF-PROPELLED MANUALLY STEERED PORTABLE RUG-WASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 20, 1946 m w m w w 00 m n ,A I 1 I m/ Patented June 26, 1951 UNITE-D :srA-rss PA @FFICE -SELF PROPELLIEID MAN UALLY STEERED PORTABEE RUG-WASHING MACHINE rl -sClaim.

This. invention relatesito'a selfpropelledssteam rugawasher, the :object thereof rbeing toxprovidesa "machine especially :designed to "wash rugs rconsa concrete I'DIatfOIm'TOIIYflOQI. iIhemachine is diesigned to be propelled :over tthelrug :in 'all direc- :.tions\in;a:,for-ward:motioniwhile :being.supplied at irits'washingand.propellingibrush,"withliquid soap and steam,:. so :that when :movedinz'a forward :di- .:rection, :the'ibrushwhipsup the soap :which is aevenly distributed :onJthe: rug;throughout the opreration, 'the;supp1y "of :soap :being controlled togetherzwith tthessupplypf :stearn1fr0m a- .suitable .tsource, aiteriwhicmaisupplyfofsteam without the .iSOaPEiS supplied-while the :machine ;is..movedlin the reverse '.orr.backward;direction fromtheen'd :of ithe; rug. flhiscoperationiis repeated until'athe :trugtis rcompleteiy ..c1eaned, after which only :cold freshiwater is: supplied; 1701 the; machine while: running I the :machine .tbackwardcor: intone direction,

:TSOZflS'tOlEYlthB napiinioneidirectioni and actzas-ta ;squeegee,;taking alli'water; ofirof therugandzlim- -.inating;aall"wheel tracks.

:Another robject ,of ;the invention :is ztot provide :an :electrically xdi'ivenzimachine having :a idrive 1 roller int-the Tform ,ofca: brush, :through" which :the necessary cleaningtand sterilizing iliqu-id cooperrates while brushing the :rug, so as to completely ::sterilize both sides-:of'itherug or.carpet,'lto"kil1;all r moths; larva randz carpet beetles, .to lay thenapiin one; direction, to;provideranefiicient way ofxcleaning without damage to thecnapv-orffabric.ofithe zmost expensive Oriental 'or "Chinese :rugs, while the rug isllat'uponit-he Vfloor ora concrete platstorm, by "quickly :and 'efficiently applying .soap,

-water and vsteam to immediately .remove Tall im- Ehedded dirt 'and .filth from :the warp "Without iinjuryzor :damage tozthetoarpet ortrug, FEES well as to the back of the rug, withoutiinjuryior damage to the piling sand cenlivenzthezcoloring and .ap- :pearance of itheprug :by the "application ;of:steam. sAnother iobiect :of 'the invention is to provide a xmac'hine which 1 is properly balanced and mounted to :be :moved on -two wheels only in- :lsteadv-iof ,on :fourwheelsrand easily "controlled to -.balance:'1the motion ithereofzandxpressure 'of the scleaninglbrush againstathe:surfaceaof thei-rug :or 4 carpet, in which the :device is propelled by the hrush making itnecessary forithe operator merely 'ztozsteerithe'zmachine:but atthesametime to re- :movemlllzdirt .imbedded in theruggwhilerrenden ,ing :athe supply of zsoap, I steam and "water lCOllavenientzsat :all times.

'Dthergolo'jeetseandiaidvantages;reside:in the :de- Srtails :.o'f :cons'tructioncand zoperationias'more: fully hereinafter described sand cclaimed areference be- 2 :ing. had to accompanying drawings iormingia'part ;hereof, wherein like numerals referwto' like'parts throughoutzrand inwhich:

'Figure 1 is a ,top; plan-view :of: aslf+propelled steam flrug washer :01 washing .machine goonstructed: in accordance with theinventiongpartiy broken away;

Figure 2 iis;-acsideaelevation"of-xtheimachine; Figurel3iis' a longitudinal verticalc'sectional view taken -onithe;line 3%3' of Figure 511,: and

Figure 4 is-afragmentary:sectional'view taken on the line 14-4 10f ,Figurejll.

Referring to 'the :drawings :"in detail, in which like reference characters zdesignate corresponding ,parts throughout the J several views, the :ma- :chine' is shown as :comprisingia bott'omiframe I'll having a front horizontal portion (and an inclined'rear portioniii l :sloping..f.orwardly, so'ithat the rear portion lliis disposed at a ihigherielevation and supports a housing 12 thereover, closed on allsides and;providedrwith a:hO0d1-.l33 at the vfrontvand atop" wall 14. The housingiisreinforced by a transverse verticalwallJE andlin irear thereof with a transverse -:channel z'bar :IIG which is inverted in position and betweenxwhich and the partition :15 longitudinally arranged spaced-parallel :channelibars or sections LIT are member 18 having its legsiprovided with'vertical portions 19 anchored-"to the top walliM at theiba'r" l6, -by meansofrs'tan'dard sockets 'or plates 210. The handle extends upwardly andrearwardly and then horizontally rat the backgaslin'dicatedat 21, and is providedwith ahand -gripping portionl22 disposed horizontally. .However; it isto'be understood that the handle may beotherwise'suitably constructed and is provided :witha transverse tubular cross-bar:23 as shown attheangular por- Ition between the horizontal" sides 2| and' the in- -clined forward portions. The machine is -supported upon pneumatic wheels an'd tires 24 *b'y Vmeans of'an axle- 25 supporte'd in'bearings- Eat the ends of theaxle and within the sides-dfithe housing so that'thechassis of the-machine-and housing is supported toberea'dily moved about. The partition [5 forms a chamberz 'l with the front and top of the housing forwardly of the longitudinal center and the chassis and-housing are pivoted upon" the axle Z5 rearwardly of' -the longitudinal center so that "the front is 'normally held downwardly alld partly counter balanoed by the weight of a.m-otor-'28, preferablyan'electrio :motor supported centrally upon :the top [4 of v the housing I 2 at the back with :a :box 129 housingtthe .binding posts or connections of the electric leads to the motor, housed therein and extending through a conduit 35 which extends forwardly extending toward the front of the housing and machine or chassis thereof, to a pullbox or socket 31, to which a cable may be connected or plugged in, with a suitable extension cable leading from the wall socket of the supply circuit. The extension cord is preferably arranged overhead or vertically, so as not to permit the wiring to become fouled in the shafts and belts of the machine and the weight of the motor tends to partially counter-balance the overbalancing weight of the machine which maintainsthe front thereof downwardly toward the floor, and thus the rug or carpet to be cleaned. The motor shaft bears a pulley 32 on which an endless drive member r V-belt 33 is engaged together with a pulley 34 fixed on a transverse counter-shaft 35 rotatably supported in bearings 35 upon the top wall 14 of the housing [2 and projecting outwardly thereof at the sides of the housing to mount pulleys 31. Belts 38 are engaged on the pulleys 3! and around pulleys 39 mounted on the ends of a transverse shaft 45 horizontally journaled across the lower portion of the chamber 27 at the sides of the housing l2 when journaled in bearings 4| at the outside of the housing, and from which the ends of the shaft 45 project to take the pulleys 39. The shaft 40 supports the rotary cylindrical brush 42 which is made up of the steel shaft on which are mounted a plurality, preferably five equi-distantly spaced collars 43 secured by set screws or the like 44 to the shaft and drilled and. tapped peripherally for attachment by screws or otherwise, of a plurality of peripherally spaced longitudinally wooden brush lags or staves 45, preferably five in number, providing longitudinal slots 45 therebetween, and between the brush sections or tufts 47 carried thereby. Thus the cylindrical brush, is made of a series of sections or brushes running longitudinally, and this arrangement facilitates the quick and easy removal and replacement of the legs or brush sections due to wear, deterioration or otherwise.

Mounted on the top of the chassis or housing I2 at the top wall [4 in front of the counter-shaft 35 centrally and transversely thereof, is a manifold 48 from which extend vertical branches or pipes 49, 55 and connected by flexible hose with supply means for forcing under-pressure, steam, water and soap solution to the manifold. A pipe 52 leads centrally from the bottom of the manifold 48 and is supported at 53 on the top wall l4 of the housing :2, through which it leads to extend under the hood I3 within the chamber 21 as indicated at 54 to connect to a horizontal pipe 55 mounted in back of the lower portion of the front wall of the hood I 3 adjacent the frame l0 and provided with a plurality of spaced perforations 56 at the bottom so as to constitute a nozzle tube to accurately direct the spray of properly mixed steam, soap solution and water or either individually, to the surface of the rug or carpet being washed and cleaned. This nozzle is positioned in front of the brush 42, and the partition I5 forms a bafille wall within the housing behind the brush to minimize splashing from the brush and partially hold the hot vapors given off by the steam mixture within the chamber 21. The supply of steam, water and soap may .be controlled individually and independently by interposing valves 51 in the pipe connections &2, 50 and 5| to the manifold 48 so that the amounts of steam, water and soap may be normally adjusted by the valves above the manifold and con= necting to the operating handles or arms 58 of the valves 57, are rearwardly extending control rods or levers 59 which extend rearwardly through aligned openings in the tubular cross-bar 23 or other suitable guides provided thereon and extending rearwardly thereof, where they are rovided with handles 60 in front of the hand-gripping portion 22 of the handle-bar, to be easily reached by the operator from the handle. It is also to be understood that the pipe connections 49, and 5! are connected to suitable hoses, preferably overhead, the flexibility of which permits movement of the machine relative to the supply connections, including the water main and supplies for steam and soap.

In the use of the washer, the brush 42 by reason of the counter-balancing of the weight of the machine through the medium of the motor and handle, will be caused to engage the rug or carpet at the proper pressure to exert such pressure against the carpet in the exact amount required for efficient operation. The water, soap and steam is applied to the surface of the carpet or rug by operating the valves 5'! from the handles 59 to be discharged through the perforations of the nozzle or pipe as the machine is advanced across the rug or carpet. The machine is propelled by the motor which drives the brush due to the contact of said brush with the rug surface so that it is only necessary for the operator to steer the machine which is designed to wash the rugs on a concrete platform or while laid out flat. As the machine is propelled forward, the rotating brush whips up the soap which is distributed evenly on the rug with the supply and control as stated. The steam is simultaneously applied to the rug continuously while the machine is in motion and at the end of the rug, the forward motion of the machine is reversed. On the reverse action, the soap is cutoff, while the steam is still being supplied and this operationis repeated until the rug is completely cleaned. The last operation is similar to the first, using only cold fresh water and running the machine in one direction so as to lay the nap in one direction. Also, since the brush sections of the rotating cylindrical brush may be replaced without dismantling the machine, the renewal or replacement of the brushes is greatly facilitated simply by removing the lags or staves 45.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

In a machine for washing a rug laid on a floor, a housing open at the bottom and having a transverse vertical partition therein defining front and rear compartments, a rotary transverse cylindrical brush in said front compartment, co-axial supporting wheels for the housing located within and at the sides of the rear compartment and journaled upon a transverse axis located rearwardly of the longitudinal center of the housing so that the latter is overbalanced at the front to cause engagement of the brush with the rug, a motor mounted on top of the housing rearwardly of the axis of said supporting wheels and partly counterbalancing the front of said housing, a driving connection between said motor and said brush whereby the latter is driven in a di- 5 rection to propel the machine forwardly, a guiding handle attached to the top of and extending upwardly and rearwardly from the housing, a discharge nozzle located transversely of and within the front compartment in front of said brush, and valve-controlled means for selectively or simultaneously supplying steam, soap and/or water to said nozzle from fixed sources extraneous to the machine, said valve-controlled means including a manifold mounted above and near the front of the housing and having an outlet connected to the nozzle, steam and soap and water supply pipes connected to said manifold and having individual control valves, separate operating rods for said valves extending rearwardly within reach of an operator grasping ,the handle, and guide means for said operating rods carried by the handle.

PHILIP P. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT Number Number Name Date Butler Dec. 19, 1905 Wattles Mar. 26, 1907 Ackerman Oct. 19, 1909 Sladinska Mar. 18, 1913 Goode Feb. 2, 1915 Gray Sept. 18, 1917 Wingers Sept. 3, 1918 Hitch Jan. 15, [9 4 Wagoner July 8, 1924 Young Aug. 17, 1926 Jancovius Feb. 28, 1928 Blogg Apr. 14, 1931 Criokmer Dec. 8, 1931 Gruendel Feb. 27, 1934 Streich et a1 Oct. 2, 1934 Fallon 7 Nov. 18, 1941 Terry Nov. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany May 7, 1934 

